March 9, 2016

World Table Tennis Day
The biggest holiday of the year is exactly four weeks away – yep, World Table Tennis Day is on Wednesday, April 6! So  . . . what are you doing on that day? More importantly, what are we doing on that day?

When I say "we," I'm referring to all table tennis leaders. It would be helpful to have lots and lots of events that introduce new players to our sport. However, it'll only happen if people organize such events.

Two big questions, whose answers I'll cut & paste from the World Table Tennis Day pages, which is on the "Table Tennis for All" website.

  • What is the World Table Tennis Day (WTTD)?
    It is a celebration of the joy to play Table Tennis for fun, bringing people together where the focus is less on the competition and more on participation and fun. 
  • What is the purpose of the WTTD?
    To gather Table Tennis enthusiasts, attract people who usually don't play table tennis, promote the love for our sport, and ideally engage new players to the practice in the long term. 

There's also a Join Us page, which answers and gives info on the following:

  • Who can organize WTTD?
  • Does it have to be EXACTLY on 6 April?
  • What can be done on the WTTD?
  • Where can it be done?
  • Getting Started!
  • CONTACT US!

There's also a Downloads page, with a WTTD Toolkit; Promotional Package; a "Get Moving!" Guide (the IOC Guide to managing Sport for all programmes); and an Ideas for WTTD packet. 

Here's a current listing of worldwide events scheduled on World Table Tennis Day. You'll note that there are four events scheduled in North America – in Trois-Rivières, QC, Canada; Villahermosa, Tab., Mexico; Hamilton, Bermuda; and Portmore, Jamaica. There are also two in South American – in Montería, Colombia, and Villa Albertina, Argentina. But nothing in the USA!

So, how about it? Who'll be the first in the U.S. to come forward and schedule something? My suggestion is for clubs to organize Meetups with Meetup.com. Perhaps schedule a meetup with new players one night at the club, with regular players there to help out. (I'm tempted to jump into this, but anyone reading my blog may have noticed that I'm generally juggling about fifty things. But if someone else sets up something for MDTTC, I'll help out.)

I actually came up with the idea of a National Table Tennis Day myself, not realizing at the time that there was already a World Table Tennis Day. On November 4, 2015, I blogged the following:

National Table Tennis Day
Let's establish a National Table Tennis Day. In the weeks and months before that day we'd flood the media all over the country with press releases, and recruit clubs to take part. We'd also do a web page and a promotional video. Then, on the day itself, we'd get clubs all over the country to open their doors and welcome new players. Some ideas for that would include a short beginners' clinic, an exhibition, and a recreational round robin event, singles or doubles. Snacks and drinks a must!

I suggest the date be Sept. 23, commemorating the anniversary of table tennis's Olympic debut in 1988, allowing us to tie it into the Olympics. Once the date is established, we do a nationwide campaign to get clubs to join in every Sept. 23, with lots of local promotion. Having the date this far in the future would give us time to promote it properly. Perhaps have a countdown thing on the web page counting down the days until Table Tennis Day. Additional benefit of Sept. 23: The initial day would be Sept. 23, 2016, a Friday, when many clubs are open and when people are free (not a work night). England already has a National Table Tennis Day – July 16. We could match them, but I like the Sept. 23 connection better. Either is fine with me.

Navin Kumar's 16-Hour Marathon for Funding
Navin needs $1600 funding for an upcoming Paralympic trip to Romania – and so this Saturday he's going to hit with a robot for 16 hours straight! (Short hourly breaks.) This despite having a mechanical heart as well as Parkinson's! He'll start at 7AM and finish at 11PM. Want to help out? Here's his funding page, which also explains his situation in more detail. (I donated $40, with the note, "I'll make you ***pay*** for this in our next training session - lots and Lots and LOTS of footwork for you...." I'm his coach.)

Ask the Coach Show
Episode #237 (25:41) - Standing on the Table (and other segments).

ITTF to Set up Working Group to Review Structure of Major Events
Here's the ITTF press release.

11 Questions with Ryan Hoarfrost
Here's the USATT interview.

Interview with China's Wei Wang
Here's the USATT interview by Rahul Acharya.

Ohlone College Advances to Table Tennis National Championship
Here's the article in the San Jose Mercury News.

The Brain and Ping Pong
Here's the video (4:29) on how it helps with Alzheimer's.

Jorgen Persson Reflects about 2000 World Championships
Here's the video (6:53).

Table Tennis Talent Trains for Second Olympics
Here's the article and video (2:08) on Timothy Wang.

The Cure for Fear of Smashes Hitting You
Here's the video (20 sec)!

Ping Pong on Penang Bridge
Here's the video (51 sec) as Adam Bobrow and Sky Chin (former Malaysian top 5) go at it in Malaysia – until the police arrive and fault Adam for illegal serves. Or something.

Release Day Interview with Author Larry Hodges
Here's the interview with me at the "Hanging Out, Reading Books, Telling Tales" blog, about my SF novel Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions. This one has no table tennis in it. However…

…For those who missed it Monday, here's my interview at the Eating Author's Page, where I talk about my experiences at the 1980 North Carolina Table Tennis Open, where I ate nine quarter pounders with cheese in one day on the way to winning all four events I was in (including Open Singles) while coming down with the world's worst stomachache, which led to me not eating hamburgers for 36 years now – with one exception. You may recognize some of the players mentioned – Jim McQueen, Walter Wintermute, Alan Evenson, Denny Stanley, Fred King, and Tom Poston. (Jim and Walter are still active.)

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